In the drilling and completion industry, the formation of boreholes for the purpose of production or injection of fluid is common. The boreholes are used for exploration or extraction of natural resources such as hydrocarbons, oil, gas, water, and alternatively for CO2 sequestration. A tubular having a radial port and inserted within the borehole is used for allowing the natural resources to flow within the tubular through the radial port to a surface or other location, or alternatively to inject fluids from the surface through the radial port and to the borehole.
As shown in FIGS. 4A-4C, a sleeve apparatus 10 having an actuatable sleeve 12 is slidable within a tubular 14 to provide an interior of the sleeve apparatus 10 access to the radial ports 16 in the tubular 14. In a closed position, as shown in FIG. 4A, the sleeve 12 blocks access to the ports 16. When it is desired to open the ports 16, to provide fluid communication between the interior of the sleeve apparatus 10 and an exterior of the tubular 14, a ball 18, is dropped onto a seat 20 and hydraulic pressure within the interior is increased to move the sleeve 12 until the ports 16 are exposed as shown in FIG. 4C. However, if the ports 16 are too long and the pressure drop while the sleeve 12 is exposing the ports 16 is too fast or too high, then the sleeve 12 may not reach the end of its displacement and the ports 16 may not be fully opened, as shown in FIG. 4B. Further, if the sleeve 12 does not reach the end of its displacement as the system 10 is designed to, then the sleeve 12 may not lock into place as intended.
Thus, the art would be receptive to improvements in actuatable sleeves for downhole systems.